29 Oct

Previously I touched upon a few basic principles of Paganism. One of those principles was that you are the one that is solely responsible for choosing your own beliefs. For some people however, it can sometimes be difficult to truly identify what their beliefs are.

There is a simple exercise that you can use to help you in identifying these beliefs. Even if you are one of those people that feel you already know what your beliefs are and have no need to identify them, this particular exercise can be very enlightening and I strongly recommend doing it anyway. There is no limit to the amount of spiritual growth that a person can enjoy, and exercises such as these help to add to that spiritual growth.

To do this exercise, you will need four sheets of paper. Each page will have itâ€™s own label, and those labels will be Childhood, Teenager, Young Adult and Now. Depending on your present age, you may not need to use one of these pages so just adjust them accordingly.

Start with your Childhood page. Write down what your beliefs were during that time period. What did you believe about life? Your parents? Your responsibilities in life? God or Deity? Religion in general? What did you believe was moral or immoral? Take your time in evaluating these things and filling out your pages. This is not an exercise that needs to be performed all at once, you can spread it out and work on one page as long as necessary. Taking however long you need, complete each page representing the time periods in your life.

Once you have finished your pages, it is time for evaluation and soul searching. Look at the pages and examine them together as one. Do you notice any patterns occurring? Are there some beliefs that you have that have not changes since childhood? If you have some beliefs that have never changed, take them and write them down on a new piece of paper.

Looking at these long held beliefs, where do you believe they came from? What is it about them that makes you believe they are true? How do you believe these beliefs have influenced your life? Do you feel that the limit you in anyway, or are they beliefs that help to free you? You can write the answers to these questions down on your paper, or simply reflect on them internally. Evaluation is key to knowledge, so take time to thoroughly evaluate your answers.

You will also want to evaluate those beliefs you once held that have changed dramatically as you have aged. Write these beliefs down on yet another piece of paper for you to review. What was it that changed those beliefs? Was there a particular event or person that was responsible for those beliefs changing? Do you believe that changing these beliefs has made you more free?

Using this exercise will help you to identify your beliefs and how you came to your particular belief structure in the first place. There are many people that â€œbelieveâ€ in something without really knowing just why they believe it. However, when you fully take the time to evaluate they why behind it, you may discover that you really donâ€™t â€œbelieveâ€ at all. On the other hand, a proper evaluation of your beliefs may actually help to reinforce and strengthen them when you can determine why you believe the way you do, and why those beliefs are important to you.

I hesitate to say that our beliefs form who we are, but in a way they really do. The beliefs that you hold influence who you are and what choices you make in life. By understanding and identifying your beliefs, you better enable yourself to make the choices that are suitable for you and be confident in who you are.

Brightest Blessings,

Rose Ariadne
Your Warm and Caring â€œResident Witch In Chargeâ€

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22 Oct

I am often asked what the difference is between being Wiccan and being Pagan. Itâ€™s rather difficult at times to explain to people that Paganism and Wicca are in a sense one in the same. Pagan is only an umbrella term that is used to describe a variety of different faiths, while Wiccan is a term that is used to describe one of those specific faiths.

I have found over time that one of the easiest ways to explain this to the non-believer, is to just simply say that Pagan is similar in context to Christian, while Wiccan would be the specific denomination like Baptist or Methodist. While each has their own set of beliefs that may differ from the rest, there are some different principles that are the same throughout Christianity, just as there are some different principles throughout Paganism.

In an attempt to help arm you with some information that will help you should you ever be asked this type of question, I have compiled some of the most common principles that span the varying types of Paganism. I hope that you find this information useful, and perhaps learn something about our wonderful belief system that you may not have known before.

1. The beliefs you choose to adopt are you own responsibility.

Unlike other forms of religion, with any form of Paganism you are the one that is completely responsible for what you choose to believe. This includes your ideas and beliefs on spirituality, the nature of the Divine, your values and ethics, the nature of the physical world around you and what your specific place in that world is. While this is an immense responsibility to take on, it is what truly separates Paganism from other religions and helps you to become more self-aware of the world around you.

2. You are responsible for recognizing, or not recognizing, your choice in Deity and establishing a relationship with that Deity.

Deity is a very personal thing. There is a good chance that if you ask ten different Pagans what Deity they recognize, you will get ten different answers. With Paganism, you must determine what Deity means to you, and whether or not you are going to choose to recognize the Divine as itâ€™s own personal being.

3. You are responsible for your actions and the choices that you make in life.

The true Pagan does not place blame for their actions on others, nor blame some omnipresent deceiver that is out to tempt us into an immoral life. You recognize that the choices you make, whether moral or immoral are truly yours and that you must take responsibility for those actions regardless of what the consequences are.

4. You recognize that everything in life is connected, contains itâ€™s own spark of intelligence and is sacred in itâ€™s own right.

From the smallest atom to the Earth and extending Universe itself, everything is connected. Each being, from the tiny amoeba to the evolved human contains itâ€™s own spark of intelligence that forms itâ€™s own consciousness. Life is a sacred thing that should be recognized and honored. Just as your Deity is Divine, so you are you since we are all one.

These are of course just some of the most common principles that bind the different forms of Paganism together. As principle number one states, you are responsible for what you believe. I encourage all of you to research as many beliefs and ideals that fall under the vast scope of the Paganism umbrella, so that you can truly become enlightened on what being a Pagan is all about.

Brightest Blessings,

Rose Ariadne
Your Warm and Caring â€œResident Witch In Chargeâ€

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15 Oct

After a long, hard day of work there is nothing quite like relaxing in a luxurious bath. Many people seem to think of bathing purely as a daily hygiene routine that must be performed, without little though of how therapuetic it can be. And though some of you may be surprised to hear it, bathing can be magickal too!

Bathing is an activity that is used in a number of different spells. From cleansing spells to spells that attract love to you, using your bathtub as a magickal tool is quite common. As water is a very powerful element, it makes sense that using a bathtub that allows you to immerse yourself fully in water is a good way to perform magick. And utilizing your bathtub for magick consists of more than just spells as well. A bathtub can be a wonderful place for meditation and channeling, as it helps you to fully relax and open your mind. Even just sitting in a nice warm bathtub with a few herbs added to it and candles burning can be magickal without the use of spells or meditation, and it helps your body and mind to unwind and relax creating a more peaceful you.

Iâ€™m going to share just a few rituals that you can perform using your bathtub as a magickal tool. You will quickly be able to see how bathing can be beneficial to your magick, and how easy it will be to experiment on your own and incorporate this daily activity into your craft.

Pre-Ritual Bathing

Cleansing before performing a ritual is an excellent way to cleanse away negativity that affect how well your spell or ritual works. To perform a simple pre-ritual bath, create a sachet for your bath that contains lavender, basil, borage and rue. For best results, use a piece of muslin cloth to make the sachet so that the herbs can fully infuse into the water. Fill the tub with warm water, placing the sachet inside the tub while it is filling. While in the tub, you can also burn candles that work for cleansing energy and strengthening your inner self.

For Protection

In situations where you feel you will need protection, steep a teaspoon of fresh basil in one cup of boiling water. Let the basil steep for 5-10 minutes, than strain the herbs from the water. Pour the water into your bathwater, and rest in the water for 20 minutes allowing the essence of the herb to coat you to provide protection from negative energy.

For Healing From Pain

Place a cub of dead sea salts, a handful of dried lavender and a few drops of lavender essential oil into a warm bathtub. Submerse your body in the tub. Close your eyes and envision the dark pain energy leaving your body, and being replaced by the cool color of lavender for healing. You can also repeat the following words while you are bathing to help take the pain away faster.

Aches and Pains be free from me,
As I wish so mote it be.
Leave my body, do not return,
Calm and peace is what I yearn.
Remove dark forces from my sight,
And bathe me in a healing light.

An Energy Cleansing

This particular cleansing actually uses the shower, but is extremely effective as other bathing spells. To start, light a few white candles in your bathroom to provide clean, positive energy. You can also light an invigoration and cleansing incense or use an aromatherapy lamp. Using warm water, stand in the shower allowing the water to run over your entire body. Visualize it rinsing away any negative energy that is clinging to you, and washing away down the drain.

You see, bathing can be a truly wonderful and magickal experience. Your bathtub, or your shower, can be a very magickal tool. I encourage you all to discover the many ways of using this powerful tool to help make your magick stronger, or even just help yourself to relax at the end of a hard day!

Brightest Blessings,

Rose Ariadne
Your Warm and Caring â€œResident Witch In Chargeâ€

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08 Oct

After discussing with you about finding tools for spell work, I realized that I had not really touched on ritual clothing, and the many options that you have. While the majority of people think that all witches practice skyclad, the fact of the matter is many witches prefer to remain clothed and have certain â€œoutfitsâ€ they prefer to use during rituals.

What you wear to perform your spells and rituals is really of very little consequence. You will be just as successful at your magick if you are skyclad as you are if you are wearing your favorite worn out jeans and a T-shirt. Many people find however, that wearing ritual clothing helps to better put them in the right frame of mind for working magick, and helps them to have more focus.

I can definitely understand how this mindset works. After all, most of us usually will â€œset the sceneâ€ before we perform our spells and rituals or even perform meditations and divinations. Creating the right ambiance for our works helps us to focus on the task at hand, and provides a particular environment that is more suitable for magick. Just as you may chose certain lighting and tools to help create the mood, you may also chose certain clothing as well.

Ritual clothing can consist of virtually anything. Many witches find that making their own clothing helps to add a personal touch, and adds itâ€™s own magick to the clothing which aides in their spell work. You donâ€™t have to be a master seamstress to make your own ritual clothing, in fact you can make a simple robe out of a bedsheet or piece of fabric in almost no time at all. If you are handy with a sewing machine, you can of course create ritual clothing that is as simple or as ornate as you desire. If you feel that making your own ritual clothing is out of your league, there are still many options available to you.

For women, you can chose a simple dress or robe that will be suitable to wear during your workings. Men can also find a simple robe, or if they prefer a pair of loose fitting pants and shirt that are used when they are working magick. Keep in mind that you want to be comfortable while working, so choosing loose fitting, light and breathable clothing is important. Youâ€™ll hardly be able to focus on your spell if you are wearing clothing that is too tight, or a robe made of heavy, itchy wool.

My personal recommendation is to choose a simple piece of clothing made from natural fibers. If you are fond of more fancy attire, you can always dress up your clothing by using jewelry. Creating braided belts from natural fibers, or beaded belts made from stones and beads can also add decoration to your clothing and help to personalize your attire.

While some people do prefer to work skyclad as they feel it is more conducive to their magick, I always like to suggest that a witch have some type of clothing available to them for whatever need may arise. If you suddenly have the urge to perform a spell under the moon in February, chances are you are not going to want to be outside in all your glory, freezing in the chilled winter air. At these times, having a ritual robe to wear outdoors is quite beneficial and practical, yet will still help you stay in the â€œritualâ€ frame of mind.

The most important thing to remember is that ritual wear is not essential to your magick working. You are no less of a witch just because you do not have designated clothing that you wear during rituals, just as you are no more of a witch if you do. As with everything in our craft, it is a very personal choice that only you can make. However, choosing or making your ritual wear can be very fun, and provides you a great way to personalize your craft even more.

Brightest Blessings,

Rose Ariadne
Your Warm and Caring â€œResident Witch In Chargeâ€

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01 Oct

One question I am often asked by students that are just stepping onto the path of the craft, is where they can get their magick tools for spell working. Contrary to popular belief, you do not have to purchase your spell working tools from some secret magickal shop for them to be effective. Tools that you use for spell working can come from anyplace, and can be made from almost anything.

Finding the right tools for spell working is a very personal thing. A tool should speak to you. When you pick it up, it should feel as though it was meant for your hand. When you hold the tool, you know it is right just for you. Anything can be a tool in magick. A stick, a shell, a stone. Even more modern items that you would never imagine for spell working such as a regular cooking pot as your cauldron or a kitchen knife as an athame. One of the great benefits of being a modern witch, is that we have unlimited resources right at our fingertips.

Many of my absolute favorite tools for spell working are tools that I have found on my own outside in nature. I have various wands that are nothing more than uniquely shaped sticks I have found, seashells which perform a number of different functions and more stones and rocks that my supply cabinet can handle. I have taken standard kitchen knives that I have found at yard sales and crafted new handles for them to make them unique spell working tools, and have pieced together unique altar cloths from favorite, but worn out pieces of clothing.

Whenever I am asked where to find good tools for spell working, my answer is always the same. Open your senses and the tool will find you. I cannot begin to tell you how many times I have been walking along the beach, on a hiking trail or even just puttering around in my backyard, and have found a tool that has proven to be extremely valuable for use in my spells. The same goes for walking through any store. I always keep my eyes, and mind, open. I truly believe there is some part of me that looks at all objects and does not see them for their practical uses, but instead looks at them to determine what type of magick tool it could be.

Now mind you, I am not saying you should never purchase a magick tool from a store or person. There are many different tools available that can be quite beneficial to you. Buying a tool that has been mass produced does not necessarily mean it is without power. The power does not always come from the tool, but from the user. For the right person, any tool whether one of a kind or mass produced, will work effectively at performing the tasks that you desire.

The important thing to remember when finding an item to be used as a tool for magick, is that whether it is purchased or found in nature it still needs a proper and thorough cleansing and consecration before it is used. Both naturally occurring objects and those that have been manufactured can contain negative energies that will inhibit positive results, so a good cleansing and consecration is essential. However, once you have performed these rituals your tool will be completely yours to use and charged with your energy, so it should work well no matter where it came from.

You donâ€™t need a lot of money or purchase fancy items to find tools to use for magick. Remember, the magick comes from within you, not from within your tool. The tool is merely a conduit that helps direct your energies where you wish. Have fun in choosing your magick working tools, and choose those items which speak loudest to you.
Brightest Blessings,

Rose Ariadne
Your Warm and Caring â€œResident Witch In Chargeâ€

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